Sanctuaries and the Sacred in the Ancient Greek World

by John Pedley

Overview

This book explores the variety of ancient Greek sanctuaries—their settings, spaces, shapes, and structures—and the rituals associated with them, such as festivals and processions, sacrifice and libation, dining and drinking, prayer and offering, dance, initiation, consultation, and purification. Subsequent chapters trace the consequences of the Roman conquest, the triumph of Christianity, as well as the impact of Turks, travelers, archaeologists, and tourists on these sites. Featuring an exhaustive glossary and bibliography, the volume provides an accessible, authoritative introduction to ancient Greek sanctuaries and their ritual activities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521006354
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/17/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 9.88(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

John Pedley is Emeritus Professor of Classical Archaeology and Greek, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is the author of numerous articles and books, among them Greek Art and Archaeology, now in its third edition. Former director of the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, he has received fellowships and grants from the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Philosophical Society.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Setting the stage; 3. Growth and variety; 4. The siting of sanctuaries; 5. Architecture for the Gods: sacred building; 6. Activities and experiences I; 7. Activities and experiences II: offerings; 8. Sanctuary histories: Olympia; 9. Sanctuary histories: Delphi; 10. Sanctuary histories: Samos; 11. Sanctuary histories: Poseidonia; 12. Sanctuary histories: the Acropolis at Athens; 13. Greece, Rome and Byzantium; 14. The aftermath.

Editorial Reviews

"The straightforward and graphic presentation of the subject will strike most readers as both inviting and engaging."
Signe Isager, The Classical Bulletin

From the Publisher